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Ebenezer Seager (1750-1813)
}} Biography Ebenezer Segar (also seen in various sources spelled as Seger or Seagar) was born February 3, 1750, in Newton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. He was the father of Sally Segar, who became the mother of Albert Miles. At the close of the war, and upon the receipt of his discharge in 1783, Ebenezer and Mehitable returned to Newton, Massachusetts, where they resided 1796. The couple had seven children together. They then moved to the adjoining town of Watertown. There, on May 26, 1812, Ebenezer passed away. Revolutionary War Service While not much is known of Ebenezer’s early life, it is known that he served as a Sergeant in the Revolutionary War for six years, which was rather unusual for that time. When the Revolutionary War started, the Government had to rely upon volunteer soldiers and because it was such a new country and did not have a very large budget to draw from, the United States could only afford to pay its soldiers sporadically. Often, the Army didn’t have enough money to feed the soldiers either. As a result, the Government had trouble with soldiers deserting. Those who did stay in often did not stay in for very long. The fact that Ebenezer served six honorable years says a great deal about his character. Ebenezer served with the 3rd Continental Artillery Regiment, under the unit command of Henry Burbeck. The Regiment was commanded by John Crane. His unit mostly remained in the North to defend the Hudson Highlands and marched into New York when the British army evacuated that city at the close of the Revolutionary War. This Regiment was a part of the Continental Army which was the unified command structure of the thirteen colonies fighting Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. The 3rd Continental Artillery Regiment was in place from 1777 until 1783 and was assigned to several locations including Morristown (NJ), Brandywine (PA), Valley Forge (PA), and West Point (NY). Ebenezer joined the Army on March 14, 1777, and his original appointment was signed by John Crane and Samuel Cooper, Adjutant. Although it’s not known which battles exactly Ebenezer was a part of, there is no question that he saw a good deal of action during his service. After his six years of faithful service, Ebenezer was discharged on June 9, 1783, and his discharge papers were signed by General George Washington and Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. (General Washington’s secretary). In addition, Ebenezer was honored with the Badge of Merit which was signed by Colonel John Crane and signed by Captain Henry Burbeck. The Badge of Merit was officially the Badge of Military Merit and was created by General Washington and was intended as a military order for soldiers who displayed unusual gallantry in battle, or extraordinary fidelity and essential service. It is the second oldest United States military award in existence. Of the Badge of Military Merit, Washington said: The General ever desirous to cherish virtuous ambition in his soldiers, as well as to foster and encourage every species of Military merit, directs that whenever any singularly meritorious action is performed, the author of it shall be permitted to wear on his facings over the left breast, the figure of a heart in purple cloth, or silk, edged with narrow lace or binding. Not only instances of unusual gallantry, but also of extraordinary fidelity and essential service in any way shall meet with a due reward. Before this favour can be conferred on any man, the particular fact, or facts, on which it is to be grounded must be set forth to the Commander in chief accompanied with certificates from the Commanding officers of the regiment and brigade to which the Candadate sic for reward belonged, or other incontestable proofs, and upon granting it, the name and regiment of the person with the action so certified are to be enrolled in the book of merit which will be kept at the orderly office. Men who have merited this last distinction to be suffered to pass all guards and sentinals sic which officers are permitted to do. The road to glory in a patriot army and a free country is thus open to all. This order is also to have retrospect to the earliest stages of the war, and to be considered as a permanent one. After the Revolutionary War, the Badge of Military Merit fell into disuse although was never officially abolished. In 1932, the United States War Department determined that the Purple Heart Medal would be considered the official “successor decoration” to the Badge of Military Merit. Marriage and Family Ebenezer married a young woman named Mehitable Tripp on July 28, 1779, while he was still in the Army. They were married in Fishkill, NY, by Chauncey Graham, V.D.M. According to a declaration made by Mehitable and placed in Ebenezer’s pension file, Chauncey Graham was “a minister of the Gospel” who officiated as such in Fishkill at that time and who also had a son a surgeon in the Army Category:Military personnel of the American Revolutionary War